Pre-Pregnancy Obesity, Gestational Weight Gain, and Their Relationship with Maternal Lipid Levels at Delivery Across Racial and Ethnic Populations

Maternal dyslipidemia is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term cardiovascular risk. Pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain may exacerbate dysfunctional lipid profiles, particularly at full term gestation when lipid burden peaks. However, studies on maternal lipids at delivery are lacking. This study aims to examine the associations of pre-pregnancy BMI (pBMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with maternal lipids at delivery across a cohort composed of two dominant ethnicities. This was a secondary analysis of a prospective study and comprised of 500 singleton pregnancies delivering at term (≥37 weeks). The association of pBMI and GWG with total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG) were examined by multivariate models. Analyses adjusted for potential confounders and stratified by race. Sensitivity analyses omitted gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders. Participants had pBMI of 28.4 ± 7.5 kg/m² and GWG of 26.5 ± 15.0 lbs. The pBMI was inversely associated with HDL-C only among White women (p<0.01). GWG distribution varied by pBMI (p<0.0001). Among women with obesity, GWG was positively associated with HDL-C in the full cohort and in Black women and inversely associated with TC and LDL-C in White women. Associations with GWG were attenuated after excluding those with gestational diabetes or hypertensive disorders. GWG and pBMI shape maternal lipid profiles at delivery with substantial differences between White and Black patients. One-size-fits-all guidelines for pBMI and GWG may not appropriately manage maternal dyslipidemia and address associated adverse pregnancy outcomes or long-term cardiovascular morbidity.